Overall design Architect Collaborating architect Engineering Interior design Collaborating interior design Building firm Sign-writing Metalwork Wood work Lighting Acoustic engineering Sound Cinema
JAVIER MARISCAL BIARQUITECTOS S.L. ALEJANDRO CRISTÓBAL G56 JAVIER MARISCAL/FERNANDO SALAS TOMÁS LÓPEZ GESCOR S.L. Y CONEFE S.L. ROURA CEVASA TALLERES COLMENERO S.L. DIVISA BARCELONA S.A. IGUZZINI HIGINI ARAU JOSÉ MIGUEL LODARES CINEMATOGRAFÍA PEREIRA S.L.
Calle 54 The magic of extraordinary music every night At the presentation of his film “Calle 54” Fernando Trueba said that it was his …”way of paying off my debt of gratitude to Latin jazz, a music that has delighted and helped me to live like no other.” It is an excellent definition of the music, “to delight and help to live”. This is the simplest, the best way to explain the essence, the magic and the joy that this music provides for the listener. A listener who never leaves a concert disappointed. Latin and Jazz are two words each of which cover many kinds of music, many cultures and many stories. Jazz, that was born in the early 20th century New Orleans, a hustling, wild, cosmopolitan city settled by Europeans and Africans. Cuban music is an overpowering blend of Spanish and African music with the catchy rhythm of African drums. Latin Jazz recalls 50’s New York and the meeting of the brilliant jazzman and big shot, Dizzy Gillespie with the likes of Chano Pozo, Mario Bauza, Machito, Chico O’Farrill, all of them masters of the rich tradition of Cuban music, and the coming together of the two worlds. In Calle 54 Trueba brought together thirteen names which are a must when it comes to making people enjoy themselves, for a 2-hour feature film, able to suddenly change anybody’s mood, making Calle 54 a symbol of both deeply intelligent and enjoyable music. When programming the music for the restaurant and club Calle 54 we sought inspiration in the same idea of making every night a magic one with live music to “help us live”. That’s why, during the opening weeks, we’ll be counting on Bebo Valdés and Diego el Cigala performing their breathtaking boleros, Jerry González telling us more about the mystery of the clef, Roy Hargrove, heir to the greatest trumpet players of jazz, Chano Domingo showing us that flamenco knows about jazz too…along with many other gifted and alluring conversationalists including Charles Lloyd, Joyce, Ron Carter, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, David Sánchez, Barry Harris, Brad Melhdau or Elian Elias…
Reservations: 902.14.14.12 E-mail: calle54@calle54.net
Calle 54, the malecón of Paseo de la Habana A unique space in Madrid, created, designed and decorated by Javier Mariscal and his Studio, where musical performances, hosted by Fernando Trueba; gastronomy, conducted by Juan Calduch (general manager), a disciple of Juan Mari Arzak, and Xavier Gutiérrez (gastronomic advisor), currently in charge of the Arzak restaurant laboratory, come together in a club featuring a small movie theatre and presentation hall for special events. Gastronomy, music and drinks under the same roof at Paseo de la Habana 3, a meeting point for artists, professionals and the general public willing to turn every night into a unique adventure. The idea of CALLE 54 came to a group of friends two years ago, among them producers, actors, film directors, journalists and businessmen. The group was united by their love for the cinema, good food and conversation. The project grew, gaining momentum and at last it is ready to enjoy. Everyone agreed that “CALLE 54” was the perfect name, taken from the film in which Fernando Trueba, one of the partners, brings the greatest Latin jazzmen together. Though other styles of music might find room here it is Latin jazz that gives the place its true character. A gigantic neon piano covers the whole of the building’s facade, making it unmistakable. Indoors, two different culinary proposals, though both commanded by one and the same team, formed at the school and among the stoves of master JUAN MARI ARZAK; a jazz club offering live music seven days a week; and a comfortable, intimate private cinema suited to screen anything from celluloid to digital formats. Between floors, a huge oval opening communicates the restaurant areas and the stage, with its grand piano. Javier Mariscal has been responsible for the whole design of CALLE 54, and he has achieved his aim of bringing together something both spectacular and comfortable, while not lessening the initial impact on the passer-by faced by the club’s colossal piano of light. Gastronomy is yet another force behind the CALLE 54 along with its non-stop meal service from noon on to the early hours 365 days a year and its music programs, cinema showings and public presentations.
Manager: Juan Calduch Gabriel y Galán. Contact phone: 91 561 43 42 – 630 966 076 E-mail: juan@calle54.net Corporate relations, events and merchandising: Asunción García Campoy. Contact phone: 91 561 43 42 – 650 388 388 E-mail: asuncion@calle54.net
FEATURES ON THE GROUND FLOOR
THE BISTRO. A varied menu combining the best hamburgers in Madrid, salads, pasta, and our “cazuelitas” of traditional cuisine stolen from our grandmother’s cookbook. It has a capacity for 100 people. BAR. The best barmen in Madrid will attend an immense bar providing their finest specialities: mojitos, daiquiris, caipirinhas and a choice of classic international cocktails.
ON THE 1st FLOOR
RESTAURANT. Exquisite dishes from the Mediterranean: pumpkin soup with cuttlefish, wok sautéed vegetables with prawns, eggs stuffed with truffles, vegetables and cod, grilled hake with steamed vegetables… enjoy the privacy of this area. It has a capacity for 90 diners. BAR. A special corner to try the finest drinks, the best cocktails and the cigar cellar. MUSIC. Everyday the best live music from 11.30 p.m. onwards in CALLE 54 will come basically from the European jazz circuit while also making room for special performances by great artists from other musical tendencies. Musicians such as Bebo Valdés, Paquito de Rivera, Michel Camilo, Elian Elias, Chano Dominguez and many other leading artists. MOVIE THEATRE. CALLE 54 is equipped with a screening room and the best technical means to show anything from a film to digital format: 35 mm., video projector, VGA output, DVD with super Audio CD… It has capacity for 47/60 people. EVENTS. Meetings, presentations, talks, private screenings… may be held at CALLE 54, you choose the format: a coffee break, some Spanish wine and an excellent meal served in any of the restaurant areas, or in our private rooms and terrace area. MERCHANDISING. A cool gift shop: earrings designed by Javier Mariscal, very special T-shirts, dinner services and gifts. Music CD’s, recorded at the live performances in the club and the very best cookbooks. WEB. Check out our site with the musical program, dishes of the day, the private program for the screening room, our shop or the B2B section and much much more. A car park and parking service is also at your disposal.
CALLE 54 by Javier Mariscal
CONCEPT The concept of all-embracing design (corporate image, indoor design, furniture, graphic panels, dinner service, merchandising) of the CALLE 54 Club, designed by Javier Mariscal and developed by the Estudio Mariscal in conjunction with the Estudio Fernando Salas, has been inspired by Latin jazz, using its imagery and echoing the mystique that it arouses. The intention was not merely to lend a sophisticated air, far from it, the aim was rather to give it a mean look, even if in a sophisticated way: loud colours; evocative of bumper cars, night-clubs, American bars and jazz dives. It is jazz that inspires the idea of the dark container, the black box, as black as jazz and Louis Armstrong, as black as the night. CALLE 54 is full of references we’d find in the streets of Havana and the Latin quarters of New York or Miami, places where mixture is the name of the game. Theatrical landscapes show off heir dramatic quality, here it is possible to stage life and passion. The initial concept of Calle 54 Club lies in the lack of prejudice and a more general way of understanding Javier Mariscal’s design, seeking polish and a concern for expressing the essence, or the essential, while coexisting with certain materials, a colour range and lighting that might evoke an old-fashioned disco. At CALLE 54 we looked in many different directions to achieve that which is our premise: that this should appeal to all those who understand that leisure is a very serious thing and that listening to excellent music adds to the pleasure of good food and fine drink.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION THE FACADE On the facade, read as sheet of lined paper, flashes the neon light of Calle 54, representing a performance of a piano player. The aim is to add a unique image to the facade, somewhat overwhelming perhaps, but only as overwhelming as the music it invokes –jazz. A neon light, like those found on the Gran Vía, Broadway or Vegas, is a playful reference livening up the urban landscape. THE BISTRO The furniture and atmosphere match the informality of the menu. Ron Arad’s Fantastic Plastic Elastic Chair, in lilac, red and yellow, is used as a colour blot splashing the space. In the evening, light and shade go down and the bistro environment merges with the larger bar. The floor is black granite and the tables are set around the stage.
THE STAGE It rises 20 inches above the bistro floor and has been coated with (ipe???) wood. It is shaped like a Fender guitar pick. Above it a two story-high opening copies the shape of the stage and communicates both floors. Two back-lit partitions make up the scenery, each a steel-framed glass supporting vinyl printed with a rhombus pattern–a visual icon that suggests funfair stalls and 50’s Cuban supermarkets. THE BAR Given its outstanding role on the ground floor, particularly in the evening, the bar has been designed as the central piece on this level. A backlit panel printed with Mariscal’s caricatures of musicians takes up the wall behind the bar acting as a lamp sparkling a range of warm colours from the graphic tradition generated by the music. It is a homage to the myths and the giants of jazz. The bar itself is made of black granite, and the front is stainless steel. The stools are stainless steel and black leather, and remind one of the congas, Latin jazz’s rhythmical base. THE TYPE MURAL This is the thread that passes through all three floors of the building connecting its different levels. The names of the giants of jazz are written in Franklyn Gothic Condensed type, embossed in three different widths over a black background. The colour range is the same one used for the backlit panel behind the bar. Halogen lamps drench it in light from above. The mural is both a memorial and a wall of fame in the style of Hollywood’s Chinese Theatre, here the names of the stars of jazz are written in relief giving the place a hint of a jazz temple. THE STAIRS When designing the stairs the language chosen was more suited to an escalator than a stairwell preventing them from interfering with the unity of the mural running along the inner wall. The approach followed was similar to that of a piece of stainless steel furniture. There are no step fronts thus making it transparent and light and the handrail is a matt stainless steel tube. THE RESTAURANT Tables face the stage with the back wall made of DM square pieces similar to a chessboard. The inner wall is a graphic mural with three openings through which daylight filters. On the façade stainless steel metalwork has been fitted between pillars coated in the same material. The old woodwork is hidden behind curtains forming coloured vertical stripes (violet, yellow and green) highlighted by a line of fluorescent lights. THE WAITING ROOM At the back of the ground floor is the waiting area with a small cocktail bar ano comfortable armchairs. One of the walls is coated with ipe slats facing another graphic mural. This room gives access to the restrooms and to a huge window through which you can read “Viva el jazz latino” in full volume coloured letters, some toppled, some standing on the terrace dais (not accessible from here).
THE PRIVATE ROOM AND TERRACE The waiting room offers access to a private room through a sliding door coated with ipe. The same wood covers its walls, and big French doors lead on to the terrace, designed as a wooden box open to the sky, with one of its walls rising just about mid-height. A relaxing and comfortable corner for private gatherings. THE BASEMENT The general restrooms are located at the basement floor, conceived as a unique element on the premises. Accessed through a cube with a backlit ceiling forming a two-colour lamp: green and orange, in the same acid shades than the toilet doors, both restrooms are separated by a stainless steel and matted glass partition, creating a suggestive blend of light and shadow. A cloakroom and small store are also found on this floor as well as a room for screenings and presentations, a tiny black box with a more than acceptable screen to watch great cinema and presentations.
Estudio Mariscal.